Automatic music-sheet tracker.



L. H. MAIER.

AUTOMATIC MUSIC SHET TRACKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 27, I915- Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET L. H. MAIER.

AUTOMATIC MUSIC SHEET TRACKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 27. I915.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.I'Nnm 1.1mm. WASHING raw. b. c

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS H. MAIER,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC MUSIC-SHEET TRACKER.

Original application filed March 30, 1915, Serial No. 17,975.

Serial No. 52,790.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS H. MAIER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, borough of the Bronx, in the county of the Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Music-Sheet Trackers, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my application for Letters Patent for improvements in automatic music sheet trackers, filed March 30, 1915, Serial No. 17,975.

My present invention pertains to certain features of improvement set forth in my said application, with reference to a movable member adapted to control means providing for shifting a perforated music sheet and tracker bar with relation one to another, when said movable member is moved by the bending or buckling of such sheet.

I have provided abutments adjacent to marginal edges of the music sheet adapted to be engaged by the music sheet when the latter shifts to one side or another, and when the music sheet is caused to bend or buckle by engagement with the adjacent abutment, said movable member will be operated or moved to cause operation of mechanism adapted to shift the music sheet or one or both of its spools, or the tracker, to cause the music sheet pfil'fOI'zltlOIlS or note openings of the sheet to again register with the note orifices of the tracker bar, and so on each time the sheet shifts from its true traveling path sufiiciently to cause a marginal portion of the sheet adjacent to such abutment to bend or buckle enough to cause operation of such shifting mechanism.

My invention further comprises novel details of improvement and combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure 1 is a partly sectional face view of a music sheet mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail portion of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is a detail of Fig. 2 illustrating the music sheet bent or buckled; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of a modification; illustrating a tube having an opening that is provided near the marginal portion of the sheet adapted to be moved when such por- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Divided and this application filed September tion of the sheet bends or buckles adjacent to its edge-abutment; Fig. 3 is a detail of Fig. 3 illustrating the music sheet bent or buckled; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of a modification wherein the opening to be controlled by reason of the bending or buckling of the marginal portion of the music sheet is controlled by a member interposed between such opening and said sheet; Fig. 5 is an underside view of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a face view illustrating parts shown in Figs. 4 and 5 as mounted to be adjusted with respect to the traveling music sheet; Fig. 6 is a face view of a tracker bar equipped in accordance with the construction illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7, 7, in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of a further modification illustrating means for electrically controlling the operation of the primary valves of the music sheet or tracker shifting mechanism, in accordance with my invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate .corresponding parts in the several views.

The tracker bar 1 having note orifices 1' may be mounted in any suitable manner in a frame 2, the tubes a communicating with said orifices in any suitable manner to con trol the musical instrument operating mechanism. The spool 3 carrying the perforated music sheet 4, and the takeup spool 5 for said sheet, may be mounted in frame 2 in any suitable manner. In the example illustrated in Fig. 1 the spool 3 is mounted to have longitudinal adjustment, spindles 6 and 7 being slidably mounted in frame 2 to support the ends of spool 3. The spindle 7 is normally pressed by a spring 8 toward spool 3, and an eccentric 9, pivotally supported upon frame 2, as at 10, coacts with spindle 6, whereby the spool 3 may be adjusted in opposite directions. The eccentric 9 is shown provided with an arm 11 pivotally connected with a rod 12, which rod is shown pivotally connected with a lever or arm 13, shown pivotally supported at 14 upon frame 2, said lever being shown pivotally connected by a link 15 with the movable board of operating pneumatic 16, a rod 18 pivotally connecting said movable board with the movable board ofpneumatic 17,

whereby when rod 12 is operated and eccen trio 9 is thus rotated, spool 3 will be adjusted in one or another direction, according to which movable board of said pneumatics is collapsed. Takeup spool 5 is shown carried by a shaft 5 which may be rotated in any suitable or well known manner. 1t will be understood, however, that my improvements may be applied in connection with other suitable means for adjusting the spool 3 in opposite directions or lengthwise.

As illustrated in 1, the spindle 7 may be pushed out to admit or release spool 3, spring 8 normally maintaining the spool in operating position by pressing spindle 7 forwardly toward the spool in an ordinary manner.

in order to restore the relative relation of the tracker bar orifices and the note openings 4 of the music sheet a, the tracker bar may be shifted instead of shifting the music sheet. For this purpose devices may be utilized as set forth in my aforesaid application Serial No. 17 ,97 5, to cause longitudinal shifting of the tracker bar by the pneumatics.

The tracker bar 1, at points adjacent to the opposite edges or the music sheet l, is provided with abutments 19, and at a point behind the marginal portions of sheet l, provide means controlled by the bending or buckling of such marginal portions of the sheet for causing operation of the pneumatics 16, 17 respectively. In Figs. 1 and 2 the abutments 19 are shown mounted adjustably with respect to tracker bar 1, so as to be adjusted separately at will with respect to the varying widths of music sheets, for which purpose I have shown rod 25 journaled upon suitable bearings upon the tracker bar and provided with right and left threads engaging correspondingly threaded openings in the abutments 19, whereby, as such rod is rotated, the abutments 19 will be simultaneously adjusted toward and from each other, with respect to the edges of sheet I have shown bearings at 27, 28 for said rod, and 1 have also shown said rod provided with finger piece 29, hich may be in the form of a nut pinned or screwed firmly on said rod, whereby the latter may be rotated as desired. Such adj ustment of abutments 19 provides for variation in widths of music sheets, and by the means shown said abutments are always maintained equally distant from a center point between the extremes of the note orifices 1 of tracker bar 1.

At points adjacent to the margins of the music sheet the tracker bar is reduced or depressed at l forming spaces over which the corresponding marginal portions of the music sheet pass, and into which spaces such ma portions of sheet 4 may bend or buckle. lhe tracker bar is also shown provided near each end with a recess 1 in which a corresponding abutment 19 is lo cated, and whereby the same is permitted adjustment with respect to the tracker bar. The abutments 19 extend into the tracker bar, as in the depressions 1 or spaces 1 to l ford surfaces for the edges of the music sheet to engage when the edge of the sheet bends or buckles inwardly toward the" tracker bar. Adjacent to the abutments 19 and at points behind the marginal portions of sheet a, 1 provide means controlled by the bending or melding of said marginal portions of the sheet for causing operation of the pneumatics 16 and 17 respectively. In the drawings, except Fig. 8, 1 have illustrated openings or orifices 20 near each end of the tracker bar. The openings 20 are to be connected by tubes or pipes 23, 2a with the pneumatics 17 or 16 respectively, and the openings 20 may be formed in the tracker or in seats thereon, as in Figs. 1 and 2, or may be at the ends of tubes 21, to which the corresponding tubes or pipes23, 2 1 are con 'nected.

In Figs. 1, 2, at, 5, 6 and 7 the opening 20 is control ed by a valve 30 that is carried by a lever or arm 31, shown pivotally supported upon the tracker bar, the end 31' of said arm being shown located in position to engage the adjacent marginal portion of sheet 4, said portion of arm 31 being shown located within opening 1 of the tracker bar with its end 31 in depression 1 of said bar. A spring 31 coacting with lever 31 and the tracker bar serves to normally maintain valve 30 off its seat at the opening 20, in

F 1 and 2, said spring serving to normally maintain valve 30 upon its seat at the opening 20, in Figs. 4 to 7 with the end 31 of such lever in proper position with respect to the marginal portion of the sheet 4:. Valve 30 may be adjustable upon arm or lever 31 by means of its threaded stem 30 meshing in threaded opening in lever 31 to enable adjustment of end 31? of lever 31 with respect to sheet l to assure immediate movement of the lever upon buckling or bending of the sheet.

In Figs. 1 and 2 it is-assumed that the openings or orifices 20 are normally uncov-' ered, and adapted to be closed by reason of the bending or buckling of the adjacent marginal portion or? sheet 4, with the result that when valve 30 is caused to close the opening 20, (by reason of the adjacent marginal portion of sheet bending or buckling. and thereby operating the adjacent lever 31), one of the normally suctionbalanced pneumatics 16 or 17 will be cut off from its source of exhaust to move the spool or tracker bar in an appropriate direction, whereas in all the other figures of the drawings, except in Fig. 8, it is assumed that the openings or orifices 20 are normally closed, either by the music sheet directly, as in Fig. 3, or by the valves 30, to be controlled by the bending of such sheet. In the latter case the tube 24 will be connected with the lefthand opening 20 and the tube 23 will be connected with the righthand opening 20, instead of the tube 24 being connected with the righthand opening 20 and the tube 23 being connected with the lefthand opening as in Fig. 1, whereby when either of such openings 20 is uncovered, air entering said opening will control the valves of the pneumatic 16 or 17 to cause shifting of the sheet or tracker.

In Fig. 3 the opening 20 that coacts with the music sheet is carried by the movable tube or member 21 which is shown supported at 21 upon the tracker and normally pressed by the spring 21 against adjustable stop or screw 21 carried by the tracker bar, whereby the opening or orifice 20 and tube 21 may be set in the desired position with respect to the surface of the tracker bar. In such form, when the adjacent marginal portion of sheet 41 bends or buckles it will have a tendency to move tube 21, thereby accelerating the admission of air to opening 20, whereby a relatively slight bending or buc kling of the sheet will admit air to opening 20.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the tube 21, with the opening or orifice 20, lever 31, and valve 30, are made adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the tracker bar, for which purpose I have shown a block 33 connected to said tube and adjustably mounted upon the tracker bar by means of screws 31 in slots 31.

In Fig. 6 the arrangement of the blocks, levers and valves, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, is shown provided at opposite ends of the tracker bar, and rod 26 has right and lefthand. threads at its respective ends, meshing in correspondingly threaded apertures in extensions 33 on said blocks, the rod 26 being journaled in bearings 27, 28 and provided with the nuts 29 in manner described with respect to rod 25, whereby when the rod 26 is rotated in one direction or another the blocks 33 will be simultaneously adjusted toward or from each other, thereby simultaneously adjusting the corresponding levers 31, valves 30, and openings 20 toward or from each other, to change their relative positions with respect to the adjacent abutment 19. By this means if the abutments 19 are adjusted to a considerable extent, the levers 31 can be adjusted to accord substantially therewith to retain the ends 31 of said levers in desired relation with respect to the margins of the music sheet.

In Fig, 8, instead of operating the valves 16, 17 of the pneumatics 16. 17 bv reason of the opening or closing of the openings or orifices 20, I have illustrated electrical means to control said valves. In such case the primary valves 16 17 are respectively provided with armatures 34, 35, adapted to be attracted by corresponding magnets 36, 37.

A suitable generator, such as a battery 38, is shown connected by wire 39 with one side of a magnet, the opposite terminal of which battery is shown connected by wire 10 with a contact &1 carried by and insulated from lever 31, whose end 31 is adapted to be operated by the bending or buckling of sheet L in the manner described with respect to Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Contact 11 is adapted to engage a contact -2t2 shown connected by wire $3 with a terminal of magnet 37. A similar construction pertains at the opposite end of the tracker be r. Vith this arrangement, when the sheet 4 bends or buckles at its marginal edge and operates lever 31 to close contact at 41, the corresponding primary valve 16 or 17 will be operated to cause opera tion of the corresponding pneumatic 16 or 1.7 to shift the spool or tracker bar.

In the arrangement of the pneumatics shown at 16 and 17, (Fig. 1), when atmosphere is shut off from pouch 141, through pipe 2%, valve 16 will return to its seat, allowing exhaust under the valve, through pipe and from under the pouch 46, allowing valve 527 to return to its seat, thereby opening communication between the pneumatic and atmosphere, and a similar action takes place with respect to the pouches, valves etc. of pneumatic 17, when atmosphere is shut off from pipe 23, in conjunc tion with the corresponding parts 44 415*, MP and M hen a music sheet is applied in position the abutments 19 may be adjusted so that the music sheet will run properly and freely between such abutments, but in substantial contact therewith at opposite edges of the sheet, and so long as the music sheet properly tracks along the tracker bar the openings 20 will be retained open by the sheet in accordance with Figs. 1 and 2, and openings 20 vill be retained closed in accordance with Figs. 1, 5, (S and 7. If, however, the music sheet ceases to run true in. one direction or another and bears sufiiciently against one of the abutments 19, the adjacent marginal portion of such sheet will bend or buckle with respect to the corresponding end 31" of lever 31, or the corresponding opening 20 of Fig. 3, thereby shutting off air from the corresponding opening 20 in Figs. 1 and 2, or causing admission of air into the corresponding opening 20 in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, whereupon the appropriate valve 1b or 17 will be opened, with the consequent effect of causing the corresponding pneumatic 16 or 17 to collapse, and thereupon the music spool 3 will be moved in a direction opposite to the direction in which the sheet is shifted toward the aforesaid abutment 19 or to cause the tracker bar to shift in the direction in which the sheet has shifted to cause the sheet to again register or properly track with-respect to the tracker orifices 1 To maintain the abutments 19 parallel to the path of the music sheet guides 19 may be provided to coact with the tracker bar.

It will be understood that when the openings 20 are normally closed, asillustrated in Figs. a, 5, 6, (3 and 7, tube 23 will lead to the opening 20 at the righthandside of the tracker, and tube 2 1 will lead to the opening 2 at the lefthand side of the tracker, and the valves 16 17"" and 47, 17 of the pneumatics 16 and 17 will be nor mally seated, whereby the pneumatics will be maintained inactive and in communicaion with atmosphere, in accordance with the arrangements illustrated in Fin. 1 of my aforesaid application Serial No. 17,97 5.

It will be understood that the abutments 19, openings 20, movable tubes 2-1, levers 31, surface guides, etc, will be substantially the same on opposite sides of the tracker bar for the purpose of utilizing bending or buckling of either marginal portion of the traveling music sheet as it may occur.

From the foregoing it will be understood that, since the note perforations in the traveling music sheet are provided along parallel lines, and that any deviation of the sheet from a normal traveling or tracking position would cause irregular registration of the note perforations of the sheet with the orifices of the tracker bar, with resulting musical discord, the abutment-s 19 may be adjusted so as to engage the edges of sheet 1, and if the sheet runs sufiiciently irreg ularly, in an cdgewise direction against an abutment, to cause a marginal portion of the sheet to bend or buckle, then such bending or buckling of the sheet will cause operation of the devicesherein described that serve to maintain the proper tracking position of the music sheet with relation to the tracker bar.

It will be understood that when the abutments have been adjusted to the desired width of the music sheet, the abutments may remain stationary until any other adjust ment may be desired, during which stationary position of the abutments the traveling music sheet may engage the same. If it be found that a given music sheet has varying widths the abutments 19 may be adjusted to conform for the desired results.

Having now described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination of a tracker bar, music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with repect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, and a movable member to con trol said means, said member being located in position to be moved by the bending of the music sheet.

2. he combination of a tracker bar, a

music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, a passage having an opening, and a movable member to control said opening, said movable member being located in position to be moved by the bending of the sheet to control the flow of air through said opening.

3. The combination of a tracker bar, a music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, a passage having an opening, a lever pivotally supported to be moved by the bending of the music sheet, and a valve operated by said lever to control said openmg.

*l. The combination of a tracker bar, a music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, a passage having an opening, a lever pivotally supported to be moved by the bending of the music sheet, a valve operated by said lever to control said opening, and means to adjustably support said lever and passage relatively to the tracker bar.

The combination of a tracker bar, a music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, a passage having an opening, a lever pivotally supported to be moved by the bending of the music sheet, a valve op erated by said lever to control said opening, and means to adjust the lever to position one of its ends with respect to the adjacent margin of the music sheet.

6. The combination of a tracker bar, a music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet 11-5 travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, a passage having an opening, a block carrying said passage, a lever pivot- 12o ally carried by said block, a valve carried by said lever to coact with said opening, and means to adjustably support said block with respect to the tracker.

7. The combination of a tracker bar, a 1 5 music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, levers adjustably located adjacent to opposite ends of the tracker, passage having openings adjacent to said levers, valves carried by the levers to coact with said openings, and means to adjust said levers toward and from each other.

8. The combination of a tracker bar, a music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, blocks adjustably carried adjacent to opposite ends of the tracker bar, said blocks being provided with passages having openings, levers pivotally carried by said blocks and provided with valves to coact with said openings respectively, and means to adjust said blocks, levers, valves, and openings respectively toward and from each other.

9. The combination of a tracker bar, a music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the music sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, a lever pivotally supported adjacent to one end of the tracker bar and having a portion adapted to coact with a marginal portion of the sheet, and means to adjust said portion of the lever with relation to the marginal portion of the music sheet, an opening adjacent to the lever and a valve carried by the lever to coact with said opening.

10. The combination of a tracker bar, a music sheet, means to cause marginal portions of the music sheet to bend when the sheet travels to one side of a normal path with respect to the tracker bar, means to shift the sheet or tracker bar with relation one to another, a lever pivotally supported adjacent to one end of the tracker bar and having a portion adapted to coact with a marginal portion of the sheet, an opening adjacent to the lever, a valve carried by the lever to coact with said opening, and means to adjustably support the valve upon said lever for adjustment with relation to said opening.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24th day of September, A. D. 1915.

LOUIS H. MAIER.

WVitnesses:

T. F. BoURNE, MARIE F. WVAINRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

